Wausau HR Committee approves summer-hours pilot letting departments opt in (Option B)

The Wausau Human Resources Committee voted to enact a summer-hours pilot for 2026 using Option B, a department opt-in model that would keep City Hall operating with participating departments open late one Tuesday until 6 p.m. and allow departments to adopt reduced Friday hours (half-day) if they choose.

Lisa, the staff presenter, outlined that a prior pilot had run from after the July 4 holiday through Labor Day and that clerk’s office and customer service staff had collected feedback. She described two options: Option A (targeted late Tuesday service for high-traffic departments identified by ALICE and footfall data) and Option B (an opt-in pilot where departments decide whether to participate). The committee discussed operational constraints for departments such as assessments and inspector schedules, FLSA and nonexempt employee implications, building access and security logistics, and the need to track usage data during the pilot.

Aldra Martins moved to enact the summer-hours pilot using Option B; the motion was called, members responded in the affirmative and the motion carried. Members asked staff to delay broad public rollout until communications are finalized (tentatively pushing general public notice to the June council meeting), to present a multilingual outreach plan and door/website signage, and to collect footfall data—especially on Tuesday evenings and early mornings—to evaluate whether the late-night option is used.

Committee members emphasized the pilot nature of the change, asked staff to monitor staff scheduling and labor-hour implications, and said they would revisit a more formalized program if data show sufficient public use. The committee also noted that the Advanced Tactical Medicine presentation slated for the meeting was postponed until next month.